HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may contact you over Child Benefit but it can sometimes be hard to tell if it’s legitimate or not.
Official guidance states that HMRC could contact people via text message if it needs to make them aware of certain things related to their Child Benefit claim. This can include whether you have received your claim, have had a successful application, or if a significant change has taken place with your account.
Sometimes, a HMRC text message will include links that lead to web pages, however, this is generally for a link to a GOV.UK page or to HMRC webchat. Unfortunately, many scammers pretending to be HMRC could also use links in their text messages which would send users to malicious website.
To help avoid this, HMRC has highlighted that it will “never ask for personal or financial information when we send text messages.” Furthermore, its guidance adds: “We advise you not to open any links or reply to a tax message claiming to be from HMRC that offers you a tax refund in exchange for personal or financial details.”
If you have made a claim, or are already receiving Child Benefit and receive a text that you’re unsure of, it’s best to not respond to it or click any links and contact HMRC directly so they can verify whatever has been said in the text. Further details on how you can contact HMRC can be found here.
How Child benefit could work for you
Child Benefit intended to support parents with children under 16 (or 20 if they continue in education or training), with no limit on the number of children that can be claimed for.
A family can receive £25.60 per week for their eldest child and an additional £16.96 per week for any other children. This equates to £1,331.20 annually for one child and £2,212.60 annually for two children. According to recent data from HM Revenue and Customs, six million families across the UK are receiving payments from Child Benefit. However, thousands of families are missing out on this additional financial assistance.
Information obtained by The Sun suggests that approximately 214,000 eligible parents neglect to apply for Child Benefit each year. An added advantage of the benefit is that it grants National Insurance Credits, which could potentially enhance some parents’ State Pension.
Typically, a minimum of 10 years’ worth of credits are needed to claim the State Pension, while 35 years of credit are usually required to receive the full State Pension. This is particularly advantageous for parents not in paid work and those not receiving NI credits from their employer.
High Income earners
The primary drawback of Child Benefit is the high-income charge. If a parent or their partner’s income exceeds £60,000 per annum, they may have to pay an additional charge on their benefit.
This continues until a parent’s individual income surpasses £80,000 – at which point the entire benefit amount must be repaid, essentially making it pointless unless you become unemployed and need the benefit for the NI credits it provides.
How to apply
To apply for Child Benefit, families will need:
- the child’s original birth or adoption certificate and passport or travel document, for children born outside the UK.
- their National Insurance number and that of their partner, if applicable.
- their child’s birth or adoption certificate.
- their bank account details
A claim can be started 48 hours after a child’s birth has been registered or when a child comes to live with you. Moreover, a claim can be backdated up to three months.
It’s important to note that only one person can receive Child Benefit for a child, so if there are two parents, you’ll need to decide who will receive the payment. This will also be the person who receives the National Insurance credits from the claim, which may influence your decision.
Child Benefit applications can be made online via GOV.UK, where you will be provided with a form to fill out.
In some cases, you may need to print and send the completed form to HMRC along with supporting documents.